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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Speculation The Music of Star Wars Episode VII

Discussion in 'Archive: Disney Era Films' started by -polymath-, Oct 31, 2012.

  1. Ridley Solo

    Ridley Solo Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 27, 2010
    If nothing else Williams HAS to write one or two more themes for new characters then let someone good at imitating him write the incidental music.
     
  2. Bacon164

    Bacon164 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 22, 2005
    It was kind of awful.
     
  3. DM99

    DM99 Jedi Padawan star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 26, 2012
    John williams must write a complete new theme for the disney company logo. Every other solution would be cheap. Disney is cheap.
     
  4. Strilo

    Strilo Manager Emeritus star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Aug 6, 2001
    Shame on you, Inty! You know there's a Music Forum for this... :p
     
  5. WIERD_GREEN_MAN

    WIERD_GREEN_MAN Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2010
    I'm not saying I want a style change from the epic stuff we get from Williams. I'm saying that if the story is very different, in that it deals with significantly different characters, events, etc. some new themes (aka Across the Stars, etc.) should be also changed accordingly.
     
  6. darthgator1217

    darthgator1217 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 25, 2005
    Good choice!
     
  7. Big Bad Yoda Daddy

    Big Bad Yoda Daddy Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 8, 2000
    I thought some of the prequel stuff was great. Duel of the Fates and Battle of the Heroes gave me chills the same way that the Throne Room Duel in RotJ did.

    That said, if we can't have Williams, I'll toss my vote in for Desplat as well. His Deathly Hallows work was not only fantastic, but probably felt the closest to embracing Williams's original vision without simply parroting it.
     
    Darth_Martus likes this.
  8. starwarsjunkie7

    starwarsjunkie7 Jedi Padawan

    Registered:
    Jul 16, 2011
    I play French horn because of Star Wars. Nothing else has inspired me more than this series. There will not be an alteration to the symphonic genre of the Star Wars music, otherwise there will be a mutiny within the fans.


    My few cents:
    John Williams has made his undeniable mark on the movie industry. He has "quoted" famous symphonic literature and made it into his own style of writing in key moments in the saga. Williams revolved the music around the ideas of Wagner's leitmotifs (giving motifs/themes to characters), and he evolved his music from what he wrote in the beginning, starting in 1977. Ever since A New Hope, he has used the same themes and carried them across the entire movies. Now, the new composer MUST keep this formula, and IMO, John Williams may need to write for all the movies now so that we do not have an alternate composer. I am a purist and I believe that no one else will ever do Star Wars justice like John Williams. His themes have become too iconic in our culture and although there have been several composers to pop up on the soundtrack radar lately, none have come close to Williams' success. HOWEVER, my top choices in order of my most/least favorite, as a classical musician, would be:


    Michael Giacchino (best/most popular symphonic Hollywood composer right now)
    Joel McNeely (Shadows of the Empire soundtrack; expanded on Williams' themes)
    John Ottman (Superman Returns was fantastic IMO)
    Alan Silverstri (Back to the Future!)
    James Horner (Star Trek II, Titanic, Zorro)
    Danny Elfman (Batman, Planet of the Apes; both EPIC themes. Also, Mission Impossible)
    David Arnold (Independence Day, James Bond films)
    Hans Zimmer (VERY RELUCTANTLY. His use of synthesizer has no place in these films)

    Oh, and if they don't get the London Symphony to play, that will be a big problem with me. There is a traditional "London" sound for each respective instrument, and Hollywood will not capture that quite as eloquently. This is a very sensitive matter to me, and the Star Wars team must view it the same way.

    Source: http://www.trell.org/wagner/starwars.html
     
  9. Skywalker2B

    Skywalker2B Jedi Grand Master star 3

    Registered:
    Dec 8, 2000
    One of the things I love about SW is the music. I love John Williams' scores! Each SW movie has the main theme at the beginning and end. I like how Ep.1 has a host of new themes, but with just a slight touch of the themes in Ep.4-6. And, through Ep.2 and 3, the themes get closer and closer to those of 4-6. So, I would think that Ep.7 would have a lot of the same themes as 4-6 and start moving into new themes through Ep.9.
     
  10. laurethiel1138

    laurethiel1138 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 6, 2003
    I have to respectfully disagree with the idea that Hans Zimmer would not be a good choice to do a potential Star Wars soundtrack. Perhaps not the ideal choice, as this ultimately depends on variables we don't know yet (the director, the overall tone of the movie, the producers' story arc for the trilogy, etc...), but to reject him out of hand isn't fair. As a German composer, he is indeed well suited to understand the concept of Wagnerian themes, as it is something he used in the writing of his Gladiator soundtrack. In the score booklet, he said the following:
    To wit, this passage form the score wouldn't be out of place in a SW film. Imagine it, if you will, as the arrival to a restored Coruscant or to Bastion, the Empire's capital:


    Cheers,
    Lauré :)
     
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  11. CoolyFett

    CoolyFett Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 3, 2003
    yes williams has done enough for the brand, he needs to stay away from this new next generation movies and so should ben burtt, its time for New talent to come in and write a score and new theme for Star Wars.
     
  12. CoolyFett

    CoolyFett Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 3, 2003
    i hope it is totally different from the Fox Palpatine movies. The new composer should have their own style.
     
  13. CoolyFett

    CoolyFett Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 3, 2003
    he does? why?
     
  14. Ridley Solo

    Ridley Solo Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 27, 2010
    Because as long as he is able, there is no reason for him not to...his music is the voice and the emotional backing of the entire franchise.
     
  15. Voss

    Voss Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2012
    Ya know... what I think may be sacriledge, BUT..... I don't think Williams should return, weird? I love ALL the soundtracks ALL of em. But I think what they should do is take the scores as they are and infuse a youthfulness to it. As Michael Giacchino did with the Star Trek themes. Director is changing, Lucas aint gonna do it. Which means the energy will be different already. I say that flows through into the score.

    Micheal Giacchino for VII VIII and IX... I understand if I'm hated..
     
  16. SithLordDarthRichie

    SithLordDarthRichie CR Emeritus: London star 9

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2003
    I like some of the stuff James Newton Howard has done.

    If Williams is able and wants to do it he should be allowed to, he is the best and has proved with the PT he could still deliver great music.

    Klaus Badelt did a great score for Pirates of the Caribbean.
    A shame that Basil Poledouris is not longer around, he did some fine work.

    Harry Gregson-Williams should not be discounted either
     
  17. Lars_Muul

    Lars_Muul Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Oct 2, 2000
    I realized something today: A sequel trilogy means potentially more of one of my absolute favorite themes: "Luke and Leia". Since it was written for ROTJ and used very briefly in that film, it's remained sadly semi-obscure. I hope to hear it again in EpVII, not just because I find it incredibly beautiful, but also because it would help tie the trilogies together.

    BTW: I also believe that "Victory Celebration" could (and should) be used as a powerful theme - for the Republic, perhaps. Just imagine that melody performed by a full symphony orchestra. Goosebumps!





    Luke and Leia are twins
    /LM
     
  18. Todd the Jedi

    Todd the Jedi Mod and Loving Tyrant of SWTV, Lit, & Collecting star 6 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Oct 16, 2008
    If Jaina Solo is in the sequels, a variation of "Han Solo and the Princess" could be used between her and a romantic interest.
     
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  19. Ridley Solo

    Ridley Solo Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 27, 2010
    It would be nice to hear Yoda's Theme again for Luke training Jedi, but one that goes without saying is the Force Theme. That's as essential as the Main Theme.
     
  20. starwarsjunkie7

    starwarsjunkie7 Jedi Padawan

    Registered:
    Jul 16, 2011
    You must understand that not everything in this world needs to adapt to the times. There are timeless orchestras out there, such as the Vienna Philharmonic, that use old instruments to create the sounds they do. Just as some filmmakers prefer to stay with film rather than go digital, so it shall be with the music. Star Wars is NOT Star Wars without the orchestral score. There is no room for opinion on this because fans have been captured since the beginning due to the music. It inspired a new generation of instrumentalists such as myself. Making a timeless artifact such a Star Wars current with a new genre of soundtrack will "destroy all for which Lucas has fought and suffered."
     
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  21. starwarsjunkie7

    starwarsjunkie7 Jedi Padawan

    Registered:
    Jul 16, 2011
    It's reasons like this that Star Wars has no choice but to take from which it has been given, otherwise this saga will become irrelevant. There has been so much material provided by Lucas for there not to be additions to previous themes from the saga. My only question is what they will pick out from the movies to use in the new one.
     
  22. QsAssistant

    QsAssistant Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2011
    I want John Williams to do it but lets be honest, he can't do it forever. I put my vote in for Hans Zimmer, he's one of the best IMO.
     
  23. starwarsjunkie7

    starwarsjunkie7 Jedi Padawan

    Registered:
    Jul 16, 2011
    But we need someone who can imitate John Williams' work, not someone who has recently turned to the method of using a soundboard and calling it music.
     
  24. QsAssistant

    QsAssistant Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2011
    No! I don't want someone to try and copy his work. That's like getting an author to copy another author's style. It never works out.
     
  25. laurethiel1138

    laurethiel1138 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 6, 2003
    No one said not to use an orchestral score. Or indeed, to start from scratch or change genres. But a skilled composer will know enough about music to adapt his style to the one best suited for the movie. There are composers who have their signature style and export it to all the movies they compose for, and there are composer who are versatile enough to plunge in and give us something new and fresh for each movie.

    So you're saying the creative process should be stopped and we should be content with what Williams (or Lucas) has already written? What if the new trilogy introduces us to new worlds or characters who would benefit of their own signature themes? It is utterly unreasonable to suggest that the music shouldn't evolve with it. It's as if Howard Shore didn't come up with new themes for the Hobbit trilogy, because he had enough left over from the Lord of the Rings.

    The key word here is "emulate", not "imitate". Taking Williams' work and bringing it further along. And a soundboard is a tool, nothing more. Of course the overall style of the music should be homogeneous, but there's no question that the music of the new trilogy will be slightly different from what we know, just as the music from the Prequels was a certain departure from that of the Original Trilogy.

    Cheers,
    Lauré :)